A forum for Ohio educators, sharing thoughts regarding their health care and pension system (STRS Ohio). Researcher John Curry manages a clearinghouse of related e-mails, articles, announcements, etc. His daily mailings include many items that do not make it to this blog. Contact John (curryfeezer@yahoo.com) if you wish to be on his e-mail list. Kathie Bracy: kbb47@aol.com.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Great news! ORTA finally sees the light.

From RH Jones, April 27, 2011

To all:

It is with great joy that I pass onto you the info that I have received from SummitCRTA Legislative Chair, Dr. K. Fluke, this afternoon: “ORTA Past President, Bob Dengler, as one of his last acts for ORTA, went down to Columbus yesterday afternoon and talked to the ORTA Legislative Committee and convinced them that SB 5 indeed will impact retired teachers income status and that ORTA should work for its repeal. Response was positive by the ORTA Leg CMTE and they voted to do so. Bob Dengler is to be commended for doing this for the members at a time when his dear wife is seriously ill. I offer my prayers and I hope you do too.

Also, Dr. Fluke mentioned that of those present at the SummitCTRA meeting voted 100% to “kill the bill”. A couple die-hard far-right Republican Board Members were absent. At least that saved Dr. Fluke some stress.

After today’s meeting, he asked the AkronEA about when the referendum to “kill the bill” referendum would be available to sign and they said they would have them there the first of next week. Ohio Senator, Tom Sawyer will have them at his local office to sign also. Now, Do your duty, SIGN THE REFERENDOM!!!!!!!!!!!

Readers, I never thought this day would come. Those of you that bothered to bother your ORTA representatives to fight SB 5 are to be commended! The ORTA finally listened to their members, a little late, but nonetheless GREAT!

However, because of the past inaction of ORTA by not supporting the maintaining of our 3% fixed COLA, if a change is not forthwith, we should still continue to think of forming a new union for retired teachers only – no administrators. The ORTA is not “off the hook” yet!

My personal opinion,RHJones, Life Member of ORTA and a Proud Member of CORE (a union that early on knew that SB 5 harms retired teachers.)

About Me

A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Baylor University School of Music, I am a professional symphony musician by background. I am also a retired elementary classroom teacher (nonmusic), having taught in the Alliance (OH) City Schools 2-1/2 years and the Columbus Public Schools 30 years. My first job was as harp instructor at The University of Texas; currently I am a Lecturer in Harp at The University of Mount Union. As a retired educator and a life member of a number of professional organizations, including the Ohio Retired Teachers Association and the Ohio Education Association-Retired, I also worked through CORE (Concerned Ohio Retired Educators, which officially disbanded 9/20/12) to help bring about badly needed reform in our teachers retirement system, STRS Ohio. My e-mail: kbb47@aol.com.